


Mutual interests

by grantairrible



Category: Les Misérables (2012), Les Misérables - All Media Types, Les Misérables - Schönberg/Boublil, Les Misérables - Victor Hugo
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, Friends With Benefits, Nonbinary Grantaire, Other, Trans Enjolras
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-03
Updated: 2017-02-03
Packaged: 2018-09-21 17:03:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9558641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grantairrible/pseuds/grantairrible
Summary: All of this was Grantaire’s own fault. They’d been attracted to Enjolras as soon as he’d walked into the cafe, and had pestered and “helped” him with his assignments, plying him with caffeine along the way. If it had just been that, Grantaire would have been okay with the potential progression from hate sex to fuckbuddies to whatever tentative romance was making itself known to the two of them.The problem was, it wasn’t just the two of them.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I was really in the mood for fic writing today because I literally just got back from a 5 month trip to Europe and I found this in my e/r/c WIP folder, already finished and not posted for some reason. Hopefully I'll be posting more stuff more regularly now that I'm home, but a lot of the things that I have in the works are quite long and not necessarily going too well atm so we'll see.

Grantaire was cleaning up the espresso machine five minutes before the cafe was about to close, and paused to take a deep, calming breath as a customer walked in. Sure, they may have jumped the gun a little, but it was _five minutes._ Sometimes Grantaire really hated working in a service industry. They put down the cloth and faced the person, but relaxed a little as they caught sight of who had just entered. Not a customer at all, but a far more welcome sight.

“Please tell me you’re not after coffee,” Grantaire said, turning back to finish cleaning the machine.

Enjolras shook his head, blonde curls and bronze skin catching the glow of the setting sun and making him look even more ethereal than usual. “I’m after something else.”

Grantaire glanced around to make sure there were definitely no customers around. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Enjolras fiddled with the strap of his bag. “My flatmate is actually going to be out, for once, and I thought…”

“You want me to fuck you in your own bed, since we’re always at my place.”

Enjolras blushed, somehow managing to make it look gorgeous. Probably just because he _was_ fucking gorgeous. “Pretty much, yeah.”

Grantaire grinned. “I think I can manage that.”

 

* * *

 

Enjolras’ flat was small, with bookshelves lining the walls, and almost impeccably clean - clean enough that Grantaire was sure Enjolras had tidied up to make it look nice for them, which softened Grantaire’s idea of Enjolras that little bit more.

Grantaire wasn’t in love with Enjolras. It was more complicated than that. They were just… deeply infatuated. And sleeping with him. But not _only_ him. There was a reason Grantaire chose the description ‘complicated’.

“My flatmate’s out until noon tomorrow, so you can stay here tonight.” Enjolras wasn’t looking at Grantaire, fiddling with the strap of his bag. “If you want.”

“Enjolras,” Grantaire said, stepping closer to him. Enjolras looked up, and Grantaire caught his lips in a kiss, feeling Enjolras smile against them. “I’d love to.”

“Great. So, um.” Enjolras glanced away again, but his palms rested flat and warm on Grantaire’s chest.

“You don’t have to be nervous, it’s just me,” Grantaire said. “Nothing’s changed.”

Enjolras’ smile twisted strangely, but he just took their hand and led them to his bedroom, which was also small and tidy, although there were things Grantaire didn’t expect. He had an abundance of pillows piled high on the bed, and a stack of fluffy blankets rested on a chair next to the bed. A soft rug took up most of the floor, and a constellation lamp was perched on the bedside table. Books were also stacked on shelves in here, but most of them were young adult fiction, with some particularly indulgent titles that Grantaire wouldn’t have thought the severe Enjolras they’d first met would have read. As they had become closer, and eventually intimate, however, Grantaire had discovered many new things about Enjolras. This softer side of the man they had come to know was unexpected, perhaps, but not wholly unsurprising.

“You can sit down,” Enjolras said, “I’m sure your feet hurt after your shift.”

“I will gladly sit,” Grantaire replied, flopping down onto the edge of the bed, “but if my feet stink up your room remember this was your suggestion.”

“I didn’t say anything about you taking off your shoes,” Enjolras said, sinking to his knees in front of Grantaire, between their legs. He started on the laces, and Grantaire could feel themselves getting hard, right at Enjolras’ eye level. It wasn’t something Grantaire was in control of; their body just reacted this way instinctively toward Enjolras on his knees like this. Enjolras smirked, knowing exactly what he was doing, and continued to take off Grantaire’s shoes, ignoring the growing bulge right in front of him. “Anything else I can do for you while I’m down here?”

“I can think of one or two things,” Grantaire said, helpless against the wicked twist to those full lips. “But what happened to me fucking you in your own bed?”

“We’ve got all night. Or would you rather I didn’t suck you off?”

Grantaire reached down to undo their jeans. “I never said that.”

 

* * *

 

Here was the thing: all of this was Grantaire’s own fault. They’d been attracted to Enjolras as soon as he’d walked into the cafe, and had pestered and “helped” him with his assignments, plying him with caffeine along the way. If it had just been that, Grantaire would have been okay with the potential progression from hate sex to fuckbuddies to whatever tentative romance was making itself known to the two of them.

The problem was, it wasn’t just the two of them.

There was also Combeferre, who had been in Grantaire’s philosophy tutorial last semester, and with whom Grantaire was also engaged in a friends with benefits kind of arrangement. Both Combeferre and Enjolras were aware that Grantaire was seeing other people, and had mentioned seeing others themselves. So, of course, Grantaire had to fall for Combeferre as well. Grantaire had been considering bringing up the potential for polyamorous relationships with both of them, but they didn’t even know where to begin those conversations, so they just kept silent.

Hence why they were currently curled around Enjolras at some obscene hour of the morning, wishing they could just get their shit together. Grantaire pressed a kiss to the back of Enjolras’ shoulder, just beside the sweep of blond curls, and Enjolras stirred in Grantaire’s embrace.

“I thought you were asleep,” Enjolras mumbled, his voice quiet and tired. It was far too adorable a sound.

“Well, I thought _you_ were,” Grantaire returned. “Obviously the two of us are not, so do you want to make use of that?”

Enjolras hummed and turned over to face Grantaire, slinging a leg over them. He didn’t try to initiate anything, just clung to Grantaire, pressing his face to their chest. “I want you to cuddle me so I can sleep.”

“At your service,” Grantaire said softly, and Enjolras sighed, his breath warm against their bare skin.

“Sleep, love,” Enjolras said, and for several minutes Grantaire’s brain went into overdrive, trying to understand what he meant, but eventually it gave up, since everything was too warm and comfortable to remain awake for too long, even when there were confusing emotions to overthink.

 

* * *

 

“I know you’re awake.”

Enjolras wrapped himself tighter around Grantaire, whose heart constricted in reaction. “Prove it.”

Grantaire brushed a hand lightly over Enjolras’ side, where they knew he was particularly ticklish, making him squim and squeal.

“That was an underhanded method,” Enjolras said, breathless, shoving Grantaire onto their back and straddling them. Grantaire was strong enough to overpower him, but they let themselves be manhandled.

“It worked, didn’t it?” Grantaire asked, raising an eyebrow in challenge, the way they knew Enjolras couldn’t refuse. They’d woken up hard, and having Enjolras pressed up against them like this wasn’t doing anything to calm them down, especially not when Enjolras reached for a condom.

“Can I ride you?”

As if that wasn’t pretty much Grantaire’ favourite thing in the entire world. “Please.”

Enjolras was beautiful like this - although he was always beautiful, really, but his severe, polished facade had been done away with. His hair was a mess and his face was flushed, and he bit a perfect lip as he lowered himself down on Grantaire’s cock, gasping as Grantaire’s hand moved from his waist to brush his clit.

“I like this,” Enjolras said, breathless.

Grantaire continued to move their fingers against Enjolras, planting their feet to get as much leverage to fuck him as this position would allow. “I mean, given that you initiated it, I’d hope you would.”

“No, not this,” Enjolras said, waving a hand conversationally, as if he weren’t riding Grantaire’s dick. “I mean, I do enjoy this, but I meant _this_.” He gestured at Grantaire. “Having you in my bed. Waking up together.”

“I like it too,” Grantaire replied, slowing down their thrusts, feeling oddly vulnerable.

“Fuck. Faster again, please, I was getting close.” Enjolras threw back his head, exposing the line of his throat, mottled with bruises, and Grantaire complied. Now was not the time for an honest discussion of feelings. Not that they knew when exactly was the time, but it definitely wasn't now.

“Good morning,” Enjolras breathed afterwards, falling forward onto Grantaire’s chest, letting their softening cock slip free.

“Good morning indeed.”

 

* * *

 

“We should do this again,” Enjolras said, as they were both wrapped in towels, sprawled across his bed. Their clothes were on the floor, but they still had time, and neither was keen on the idea of moving.

“We should,” Grantaire agreed. “I mean, I know we do this pretty regularly, but…” This was different somehow, more domestic and, dare they even think it, romantic. Enjolras had verged on shy at times, infinitely gentle when he wanted to be, and he held Grantaire like they were something precious.

“Yeah. This was nice.” Enjolras shifted closer to Grantaire, his towel falling open. Grantaire took the opportunity to hold him tight, to rest a hand on Enjolras’ side, skin warm and glowing from the heat of the shower. “I…” He sighed, and trailed off, choosing instead to tuck his face into the side of Grantaire’s neck. “I- I’ll let you know when the flat is free again.”

Grantaire doubted that was what Enjolras had intended to say, and wondered what would have this fierce, brave man swallowing his own words. “Sounds good. You’re always free to come to mine, as well.” _It can be more like this_ , they wanted to say, but there were things they couldn’t bring themselves to say, either, so they just curled tighter around Enjolras, never wanting to leave the bed.

 

* * *

 

Grantaire wrapped their hands around their mug, inhaling the bitter-rich scent of coffee drifting up in curls of steam. They had barely slept last night, their mind catching on uni and work and love, to the point where Joly had tentatively suggested they should go back to bed instead of heading out this morning, but this was one of the things that might get their brain to shut up for a few hours.

A plate appeared on the table, with a slice of some ridiculously indulgent chocolate-caramel confection. “You look like you could use the sugar,” Combeferre said, sliding the plate across the table toward Grantaire. He took the seat opposite Grantaire’s and set down his own ridiculously strong coffee.

“To be fair, so do you,” Grantaire said, and moved the plate to the middle of the table. “Share?”

Combeferre smiled. “Thanks. Med school’s kicking my ass.”

Grantaire took a bite, and handed the fork over to Combeferre. “Want to ditch the museum for now and go back to my place for a nap instead?”

Combeferre nodded. “Please.”

They finished their cake and coffee in silence, bumping knees under the table and brushing fingers as they passed the fork back and forth.

“You’ve got some chocolate on your face,” Combeferre said, once they’d left the cafe, “here.”

Grantaire stilled as Combeferre’s thumb brushed just above their lip, and Combeferre took the opportunity to kiss Grantaire while he was at it.

“Let’s go,” Grantaire said, after the kiss, sure they were blushing. It only got worse as Combeferre reached down to take their hand, and everything in Grantaire ached to ask the simple question _, what are we?_ , but those three words - not even the Big Three, but big enough - were beyond their grasp. It was enough, for now, to simply squeeze Combeferre’s hand, and lead him back to their apartment.

 

* * *

 

Even after a nap, neither Combeferre nor Grantaire particularly felt like getting out of bed. Slow kisses turned to lazy grinding against each other, which led to more frantic frottage, which eventually gave way to slow kisses once more.

“Reschedule the museum date?” Grantaire asked, their head pillowed on Combeferre’s chest, bodies entwined.

“Good idea,” Combeferre replied, and kissed the top of Grantaire’s head. “Next weekend? My flatmate owes me a night with the apartment to myself, if you want to come over after.”

“You bet I do,” Grantaire replied, “I can’t wait to see what kind of weird shit you’ve got in your room.”

“Are we not going to talk about your toad collage?”

“I never said I wasn’t a hypocrite.”

 

* * *

 

Combeferre was waiting for Grantaire out the front of the museum, bundled up in a scarf, looking as gorgeous attractive as ever.

“You got an undercut,” Grantaire noted, the sight making them forget to greet Combeferre with so much as a _hello_.

“I did, and it’s really fucking cold,” Combeferre said, running a hand over the shaved side of his head. “Super soft though, I can’t stop touching it. Courfeyrac said it felt like a puppy’s butt.”

Grantaire laughed. “Can I?

“Go ahead,” Combeferre said, crouching slightly so Grantaire could reach. “I feel like I need to take a leaf out of your book and start wearing beanies.”

Grantaire took the beanie off their head and handed it to Combeferre, giving their head a shake to rejuvenate the flattened curls. “You need it more than me.”

Combeferre put the beanie on, and Grantaire laughed.

“What?” Combeferre asked.  
“You look like a fucking hipster. Undercut, beanie, tattoos…”

Combeferre snorted. “Hasn’t _hipster_ stopped being a thing by now? Everything that was once deemed so has long since become mainstream.”

“Shhh,” Grantaire said, “don’t let them hear that or they’ll hunt you down.”  
Combeferre rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. “Shall we go inside?” He offered a hand, which Grantaire took gladly.

“We shall.”

 

* * *

 

“Science, man,” Grantaire said at one point, staring at one of the exhibits, machines lining the wall that did who knew what. The descriptive plaques would probably explain what they did, but Grantaire didn’t particularly want to move from Combeferre’s side.

“Science,” Combeferre agreed. “Do you want to go to the space exhibit?”

“Fuck yeah, I love space.” Grantaire grabbed Combeferre’s hand and dragged him into the next room. One of the walls was painted completely black, with little lights strewn across the inky expanse.

“Wait, turn around,” Combeferre said, pulling out his phone. “I want a get a picture of that.”

“Of what?”

“Your smile. You looked really…” Combeferre cleared his throat. “...beautiful.”

Grantaire couldn’t help their answering smile, and Combeferre caught it on camera. The way Combeferre looked at them… they knew they weren’t conventionally attractive, and had even been called straight up ugly on a few occasions, but they really did feel beautiful with Combeferre looking at them like that, his face soft and open and honest.

“You’re too sweet,” Grantaire said, settling on something to say. “Now come on, let’s take lame space selfies together.”

“These are never seeing the light of day,” Combeferre warned, but wrapped an arm around Grantaire’s shoulders to bring them close enough together that they would both fit in frame.

 

* * *

 

“So,” Grantaire said, as they left the museum, hands shoved into their pockets because it was too fucking cold to be exposed to the wind, “are you going to take me home and have your wicked way with me?”

Combeferre snorted. “I wouldn’t put it that way, but sure.”

“Good. You realise I’m going to scrutinise your bookshelves, right?”

“You wouldn’t be you if you didn’t,” Combeferre replied, not without fondness.

They continued the back and forth until they reached the apartment building, a generic but vaguely familiar apartment building.

“Oh,” Grantaire said, as they stepped into a more familiar foyer.

“Everything okay?” Combeferre asked, pressing the button for the elevator.

“Fine,” Grantaire said. Combeferre lived in the same apartment building as Enjolras. They could be _neighbours_. Had Combeferre seen Enjolras around? Had they bumped into each other, and mumbled perfunctory greetings? Had they both noted how ridiculously gorgeous the other was?

The elevator arrived, and they rode up in silence, stepping out onto the same floor as Enjolras’ apartment. The world was a small place.

“This is me,” Combeferre said, as they stopped outside a very familiarly numbered door.

“Oh my God.”

Combeferre turned to Grantaire, concerned. “Are you sure everything’s okay?”

“You don’t happen to have a terrifyingly beautiful flatmate who’s obsessed with equality, would you? Wears a lot of red?”

Combeferre nearly dropped his keys. “You know Enjolras?”

Grantaire winced. “You know how I said I was sleeping with someone else?”

Combeferre did actually drop his keys this time, his hands unsteady as he picked them up and opened the door. “I think you’d better come inside.”

 

* * *

 

“Wait, you’re sleeping with Enjolras too? You’re each other’s other person?” Grantaire buried their face in their hands and muttered a muffled _holy shit_. “This is literally unbelievable.”

“Do you hate me?”

Grantaire laughed. “Hate you? Why would I hate you?”

“You seem to have quite strong feelings for him. I wouldn’t want to get in the way.”

“Combeferre, have you missed out on how you and I are kind of low-key dating?”

Combeferre gave Grantaire a small, pleased smile. “I wasn’t sure if we were just hanging out, or… you know. I kind of also have a massive thing for Enjolras, too?”

“I don’t blame you, who wouldn’t?” Grantaire asked, and laughed.

“I, uh-” Combeferre glanced down at his knees, suddenly hesitant and uncertain. “Do you think we should call Enjolras and have him come over so we can talk this out?”

Grantaire sighed. “I mean, I was kind of hoping we were going to invite him to join us for a threesome, but that’s probably a good idea.”

 

* * *

 

“‘Ferre, is everything-” Enjolras burst into the apartment, and broke off when he caught sight of Grantaire. He breathed their name, disbelieving.

“Um. Hi.”

Enjolras stared at them, utterly confused, before shaking his head and turning to Combeferre. “What’s going on?”

“Well,” Combeferre said, and rubbed the back of his neck, thinking, “you know how I was sleeping with someone else?”

“And how _I_ was sleeping with someone else?” Grantaire added.

Enjolras collapsed onto the end of the couch. _“No.”_

“Yeah,” Grantaire replied.

“Holy shit,” Enjolras breathed. He shook his head once more, and faced them again, his eyes bright enough to make Grantaire’s stomach twist at his beauty. “This has the potential to make everything even easier. That is to say, if…”

Combeferre finished Enjolras’ sentence, in a manner of speaking: “Feelings?”

Grantaire raised an eyebrow. “Feelings?”

“For each other,” Enjolras clarified. “All of us. Are you- Do you have them?”

“We’ve made him lose his eloquence,” Combeferre noted, shooting a smile at Grantaire, whose heart pounded almost painfully in their chest. “But yes, on my part. Romantic, for both of you.”

“Grantaire?”

Grantaire swallowed, working up the courage to say it. “Yeah. Same for me.”

Enjolras’ face split in a wide grin, eyes scrunched up at the corners, although he somehow made it look angelically beautiful. Grantaire should really stop being surprised that Enjolras could make weird expressions so attractive, given what his face looked like. “Me too. I’ve wanted to change the nature of my relationships with both of you, but I never knew how to approach it. I felt bad, continuing on without revealing the true nature of my feelings, but I didn’t know how.”

“Given that we were all in the same boat, apparently, you shouldn’t feel too bad about it,” Grantaire said, and shuffled over to make space between them and Combeferre. “Now come over here, you dork.”

 

* * *

 

“I am going to murder whoever’s alarm that is,” Enjolras muttered.

“Mine, sorry,” Combeferre said, and reached over to turn it off. “I was going to get up early to study, what with the whole medical degree thing, but this is more important.”

“Damn fucking right it is,” Grantaire said, snuggled happily in the middle of Enjolras and Combeferre. “I plan to spend all morning cuddling the shit out of my boyfriends.” They liked the way that sounded. _Boyfriends._  Plural. They could see why Musichetta took every opportunity to say it, now.

“There go my grades,” Combeferre sighed, and curled back up against Grantaire’s back. “It was nice knowing you, decent job prospects.”

“One morning will not kill your irritatingly good grades,” Enjolras said, and stretched a leg over Grantaire to prod Combeferre with a toe, too busy clinging to Grantaire to use his hands.

“Maybe if you didn’t fight with literally everyone who grades your work…”

“Shut up, dear,” Enjolras said, and smooshed his face into Grantaire’s chest, effectively ending the conversation.

 

**Author's Note:**

> If you think the puppy butt thing is weird, it's literally what a friend said to me after I got my own undercut shaved and tbh it seemed pretty in-character for Courfeyrac to me.
> 
> I'm willowveild on tumblr, feel free to drop by and say hi :)


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